How would you want a friend to support you?

Whether it be family, friends or healthcare professionals, having a support network around you can help to make managing prediabetes or type 2 much easier.

But the way you speak to a friend about supporting you might be different to how you speak to a family member or loved one. It can also be difficult to know what to discuss when new friends come into your life.

So here are some top tips for how to approach and what you could discuss during that conversation.

Decide what topics you want to talk about

You shouldn’t feel that you must discuss everything about your diagnosis and diabetes management, you could have a think about what topics you would like to discuss beforehand and let your friend know if there’s anything you’d rather not talk about, which will give you more control over the conversation.

Emotional support

We can all have days where we feel a bit low and need someone to talk to and living with diabetes can feel frustrating at times. You might find it helpful to ask your friend if they can be there for emotional support for days when you might need a chat or a vent.

Becoming a buddy

Making lifestyle changes can feel easier when you’re doing them with someone else. You could ask if your friend if they would consider cutting their carbs with you or joining you to go to a gym class.

Supporting your lifestyle changes

Alternatively, you could just ask them to support the lifestyle changes that

you decide to make. This could involve not buying you food-based presents or not offering you high carb foods when you visit them. They could also offer you encouragement for days when you feel that you’re lacking motivation.

You can discover more top tips when you join the Low Carb Program.